Fires From North Dakota's Oil Fields Are Visible From Space

Over the past 2
years,
North Dakotahas doubled its oil
production to become the #2 producing state in the nation.

And with this
oil has come a glut of natural gas – so much gas that the more
than 150 oil and gas companies operating in the state don’t have
anywhere to put it.

In order to
keep oil production levels high, these companies are flaring
(burning)
almost a thirdof the natural gas that
they produce.

Locals call
these fiery fields “Kuwait on the Prairie.” And,this
frack-and-burn has left its impression on the night sky.

In NASA’s most
recent set of photographs
of the earth at night from space, you can distinctly see the
impact of this oil boom.
Six years ago, this midwestern state on the Canadian border
was pretty much dark in NASA’s photographs. Today, thanks to
flaring and the oil derricks themselves, the region is literally
glowing.